1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tee for use in batting practice. More particularly, the present invention relates to a vertically adjustable tee that can be secured at any number of locations upon an underlying base.
2. Description of the Background Art
The use of batting tees is known in the art. Batting tees conventionally include a mat, often in the shape of a baseball home plate, upon which a cylindrical tee is mounted. The tee functions in supporting a ball at an appropriate height to allow users to practice hitting. Adjusting the horizontal distance between the tee and batter can only be accomplished by either moving the entire tee or changing the stance of the user. Thus, conventional batting tees are not at all adjustable, with changes to ball position requiring either replacement of the entire tee or movement by the user. This leaves the user guessing at how and where to simulate different pitches (e.g. outside as compared to inside). The lack of adjustability is a major drawback, as the proper position between tee and batter is critical for proper hitting instruction.
Over the years inventors have attempted to overcome the adjustability problems inherent in conventional tee designs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,139,282 to Lande discloses a batting apparatus with a telescopically adjustable tee. Further adjustability is provided by mounting the tee upon an elongated support bracket that is secured to a base by way of a bolt and a wing nut.
Another tee construction is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,924 to James. The device of James includes a vertically adjustable tee that is positioned within one of a plurality of slots formed within the upper surface of a base plate. The tee is adjustably secured within the slot via a threaded fastener.
Yet another adjustable tee construction is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,823 to Prieto. This tee includes a first elongated member that is attached to a baseball plate, and a second elongated member is slideably and rotatably secured to the first member. A telescopic tee is attached to one end of the second member. This tee construction allows the ball to be positioned at a variety of locations relative to the base.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,418 to Owen discloses a telescopically adjustable tee member that is slideably positioned within one of a pair of crossed tracks via a threaded track follower. The tracks are positioned upon a planar base member with a raised portion in the form of a baseball home plate. Once the tee is positioned at a desired location upon the base, its lower end is rotated to lock it within the track. Because the lower end is locked, this tee is more susceptible to breaking upon impact with a bat.
Although each of the above referenced devices achieves its individual objective, they all suffer from a common drawback: complexity of adjustment. Practice tees must be readily adjustable to accommodate a user's particular size and hitting style, facilitate hitting balls to various locations in the field of play, and simulate different pitch types and trajectories. Thus, there exists a need in the art for a tee that can be easily and quickly adjusted by a single user without the need for tools. The adjustable batting tee of the present invention substantially fulfills this need.